Someone Who Cares
by Gabbymadd22
Summary: Will is killed in a car accident and brought back to life as a dog. He is then adopted by Rachel, who was most affected by his death. Now he has to find a way to comfort her and tell her that he'll always be there for her.
1. The Accident

It was after Glee rehearsal, and Will had just released the students. He grabbed his brief case and headed for his car. He was _really_ stressed.

_Oh my God, why am I so stressed? Nationals are coming up soon, and I have like a MILLION papers to grade!_

He turned on the radio to help calm him down.

_Wait, I just remembered something. Why was Rachel staring at me with this dream-like expression on her face? I haven't seen that look since she developed a crush on me! I wonder what she's up to._

Suddenly his phone rang.

"Hello?"

"_Mr. Shuester?_" Rachel said on the other line. God, he loved her voice.

"Rachel, are you okay?"

"_I-I-I….um, well…this is hard to say._"

Will got concerned. "Rachel, you can tell me anything. What's wrong, honey?"

She was silent for a few seconds. Then she spoke up. "Never mind. It's nothing. I'll see you tomorrow."

He hung up and sighed in frustration. Why could she tell him what was wrong? Even worse, why couldn't _he_ tell her how he felt about her?

"Will, you're so stupid!" he yelled to himself. "If you don't tell her, she'll find a nice guy, get married, have a great career and lots of kids and you'll be left in the depths of misery with a hole in your heart!"

Suddenly, he felt a relaxing sensation overcoming his body. The song "_Don't Rain on My Parade_" started playing on the radio and he could have sworn he heard Rachel's voice singing it.

_Her voice is the one and only thing I'd like to hear in my life_, he thought savoring the moment. He closed his eyes, remembering how she sounded like at the first Regionals. Her voice was like an angel, singing to the heavens.

Suddenly…he saw a car speeding toward him. He tried to swerve out of the way but he was too late! With a flash of lights and a loud **BANG, **everything went black. And that is how Will Shuester died that day.

**BOO! Nice way to start a story, don't you think? I promise it'll be longer…just like "**_**Sway With Me**_**". **


	2. Am I Dead?

**Hi! I hope I left you all speechless…you know like "OMG WILL SHUESTER'S DEAD!" but have no fear! That was my goal for the first chapter. Now for my next trick, I will be "intervening" inside the story by playing a character. Now on with the show!**

Will woke up in a very bright place. It was so bright, he had to squint. _What the heck is going on_, he thought. He thought for a minute, and suddenly he saw a bright light. He saw the figure of a girl walking toward him.

"Rachel?" He called out.

As the figure got closer, he was disappointed to see it wasn't Rachel. This girl had long black hair, a flowing white gown, silk wings and a halo. Obviously…she was an angel. **(Yup, that's me!)**

"Hi!" the angel said. "You must be Will Shuester."

Will looked confused. "Am I dead?"

The angel's smile faded. "Unfortunately, yes. You were hit by a drunk driver. It was a hit-and-run so he was never caught. I'm very sorry."

Will shook his head. "Whoa, whoa whoa this can't be possible! Couldn't like a doctor save me or something?"

"Well, someone _did_ find the wreck…about twenty minutes after the accident. The doctors tried their best…"her voice trailed off softly.

Will felt a big bang to his chest, like someone hit him…_hard_. He was…_dead_. He never even got to do the things he wanted to do before he died and now he's gone!

"How is everyone taking it?"

The angel shrugged. "From what I saw, your whole Glee Club is devastated…they're all doing their best to comfort each other. Sue Sylvester is sitting in her office apologizing for every mean thing she's done to you. Emma Pillsbury is trying her best to help comfort the Glee Club, but she can't help but cry herself. April Rhodes has increased her drinking because she thinks it'll make the pain go away. Terri…has disappeared so we have no record on her. So…yeah."

Will gulped. He dreaded to ask this next question. "And….Rachel?"

The angel opened her moth to speak but then closed it. She closed her eyes and sighed.

"Will Shuester…Rachel Berry was the most affected by your death. The last time I checked on her, she was sitting on her bed…not moving an inch. I swear she looked like a zombie or something…with that glassy look in her eyes. She kept muttering…small words like Will…dead…no."

Will's heart broke. His darling Rachel…his death must have hit _her_ pretty hard. He wouldn't be there to comfort her during this hard time. Soft tears started falling from his eyes.

_**Meanwhile Back in Rachel's Room**_

Will was…dead. The doctor's words were still ringing in her ears, _I'm very sorry. We all tried our best but we couldn't save him._ She remembered how her heart stopped as the girls broke down crying and the guys trying to comfort them. She remembered how Miss Pillsbury slid against the wall until she was squatting…silent tears falling from her eyes. She remembered how she almost fainted on the spot until Finn caught her and she stayed in his warm embrace until her Dads came to pick her up. She remembered coming home and silently walking to her room as if in a trance without a word from her Dads. What she remembered the _most_ was not crying. _Why wasn't I crying along with everyone else_, she asked herself? _Most people cry when they are hit with bad news. Am I a terrible person for not crying?_

"It's all my fault!" she cried out suddenly. "He was already stressed out and I had to bother him with that worthless phone call…I should have just told him how I felt about him so maybe he could have died at least knowing! I killed him, I killed him!"

Her chest felt heavy and she felt a fresh wave of non-stopping tears forming in her eyes. She dived at her pillow and cried her heart out.

_**Back in Heaven**_

"Wait," Will said. "You never introducedyourself."

The angel smiled. "I'm Gabby. And I like to add this for effect," she fluttered her wings. "I'm an angel."

Will smiled for the first time since he woke up. "Yes, I can see that."

Gabby held out her hand to him and helped him to his feet.

"You're going to enjoy heaven. Let's go get your wings fitted."

She turned to go but he muttered something that made her turn around.

"I never even got to tell her how I felt."

He looked down sadly. "And now I'm gone. I can't be there for her."

Gabby felt sympathetic. She put a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"And what about the Glee Club? Nationals is coming up and we still haven't decided on what songs we were going to sing! Oh, this is all my fault!"

"Will Shuester!" Gabby snapped. "How can you say that?"

Will looked at her sadly. "Maybe if I wasn't so stressed, I could have missed the car!"

She grabbed his shoulders. "Will Shuester, _**LISTEN TO ME!**_ Your death was **NOT** your fault! Some people's deaths are sometimes intentional, accidental or just not meant to be…yours just wasn't meant to be! But it's far too late! You can't turn back the clock to fix things, it's **DONE!**"

He stood there stunned. She was right, but he really wished this wasn't happening. She pulled him into a warm, comforting embrace. (**Awww I'm so sweet!)**

He sniffed. "I just wish I could have told Rachel that I loved her and be there to comfort her. I'm sorry, Gabby, but I don't think I can live death in happiness knowing that I left everyone miserable."

She nodded. "We have people here not living death in happiness like you. I wish there was something I could do."'

He sat on the ground. "Well unless you can bring me back to life or hopefully this is a dream so if you would gladly wake me up please, I'd greatly appreciate it."

Gabby thought for a minute. "Wait a second…I think we _can_ do something!"

Will looked confused. "Wait, I thought you said you can't do anything, and I don't think there's a possible way."

She crossed her arms. "Will Shuester, do you want me to help you or not?"

He nodded.

"Okay, then hush! I think I know a way we can bring you back to life, but you…won't..be…you."

Will looked even more confused. "I don't understand."

She wrung her hands. "Have you ever heard of reincarnation?"

He nodded. "Isn't that where I come back to life…but I won't be Will Shuester anymore?"

"Sometimes that happens, but...I'm sure I can pull a few strings so you'll still be Will Shuester…just not in human form. How does that sound?"

Will sat there thinking. Could he _possibly_ be coming back to life…but in a different form? His heart leaped.

"Yes! Yes, I'll take it!"

Gabby smiled. "Okay, now let me just discuss it and then we'll decide what form you'll be coming back to life in."

After a few hours, she finally came back.

"I have great news! You're allowed to be reincarnated!"

Will jumped up and shouted with joy. "What will I be reincarnated as?"

She smiled. "You will come back to life as…a dog. A simple yet sophisticated dog. What breed would you like to be?"

His face fell. "A…dog? Couldn't I make my comeback as maybe something that could last longer…like maybe another human?"

Gabby shrugged. "Well…you _could_…but you'd be a whole new person with very little memories of your past life. No one would know who you were and your feelings for them would be a whole lot different. Any memories you'd have you of your past life, you'd have to forget. I don't think you'd want that. And dogs and humans were the only things available so live with it."

He sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll be a dog, whatever it takes to make my dear Rachel feel better and help my Glee Club."

She squealed and clapped her hands. "Yay, my first reincarnation! Okay, so what breed would you like to be?"

Will sat down and thought. "Well, I don't want to be anything big like a Rottweiler or a Lab, and I don't want to be anything poofy like a poodle or a Pomeranian."

"How about a Cocker Spaniel?" Gabby asked.

He shook his head. "Nah, too _Lady and the Tramp_ for me."

"A Chihuahua?"

"No way, I'd annoy the crap out of everyone!"

Gabby took out a book of dog breeds and flipped through the pages. Finally she settled on one.

"I got it! How about a Beagle! Simple, yet reliable, don't you think?"

Will looked at the picture. "Yeah, that'll do. I don't want her gushing over my appearance, I just want her to think of me as a loyal companion."

Gabby smiled and stretched. "Okay, so here's how it's gonna go down. I'm bringing you back to life as a Beagle, but don't worry I'll add some human qualities that no normal dog can do to help you out. You just have to tread carefully because you're a dog, not a cat, so if you die again, that's it. I'll be watching over you and lend a friendly hand now and then when you look like you need it. Once the transformation is complete, you'll be nothing but a dog, wandering the street. Find your destination and carry on doing what you have to do. Are you ready?"

Will nodded. _Rachel, here I come, sweetheart!_

He closed his eyes and heard Gabby's voice say softly, "One…two…three. Good-bye, Will Shuester!"

There was another flash of light and everything went black again.

**And there you have it…time to get this story moving!**


	3. Rachel's New Friend

**Okay, okay, okay…so everyone's TOTALLY upset by the first chapter…but if you brilliant snowflakes read the SUMMARY before reading the first chapter, then you would have noticed the "brought back to life as a dog" part! I'm just trying something new here, people! If you don't like it, then read "**_**Sway With Me**_**" and live in the perfect fantasy where Rachel and Will tell each other they love each other, Emma goes psycho, Sue becomes nice for once and at the end there's a big wedding and everyone lives happily ever after. **_**Or**_** if you are the nice readers who will take the challenge of experiencing a whole **_**new**_** different approach of their relationship…then continue reading this story. Gosh, I'm just trying to survive here, people!**

Will woke to the sound of a busy street. He looked up and saw that he had been sleeping under a box. He felt something keep whipping his but so he turned around and saw that he had a furry tail, wagging excitedly. He looked down and saw that his paws were furry and brown. He shook his head and felt his long ears slap against his face.

_Wow…I am…a dog. A Beagle! My, my, the view looks __very__ different from a human's point of view!_ _Everything's so __**BIG! **__I better find Rachel._

"_Freeze, sucker!" _screamed a voice in his head.

"Gabby?" he asked out loud. "What are you doing in my head?"

"_I told you I'd be keeping an eye on you, didn't I?"_

"Yeah, what's up?"

"_Dude, you just became a __DOG!__ Don't go looking for everyone right away! Explore your surroundings! Go…chase a mailman, pee on a tree, do something! I'm sure your point of view is quite fascinating."_

He nodded. "Okay, thanks!"

"_No problem. I'll still be watching you to make sure you stay safe."_

He crawled out from under his box and inhaled the fresh air. He started running through the streets, barking excitedly at people who passed him. They would squat down, scratch his head and walk away. Suddenly, he saw Finn walking on the sidewalk with his hands in his pockets so he ran up to him, his tail wagging excitedly.

"Finn, Finn! It's m, Will Shuester! Look at me; I've been reincarnated as a dog! How's Rachel doing? Is she okay? I can't wait to see her! You have to take me to her! You have to-"he said hurriedly but Gabby interrupted.

"_Um, Will, in case you missed the memo, he can't understand you! To other humans, when you speak, all they hear is barking! You have to come up with another way to communicate."_

Finn smiled at him and squatted down. "Hey boy! You're a frisky little fellow, aren't you?"

Will smiled and barked some more. Finn laughed and scratched behind his ears.

"Do you belong to anyone? You don't have a collar on so I guess you're a stray."

Will didn't say anything. He just sat there wagging his tail excitedly.

"I'd take you home with me, but my Mom's allergic to dogs. I'm sorry, buddy."

Suddenly, Will came up with an idea. He saw a mud puddle nearby so he barked at Finn to follow him and ran over to the puddle. Then with his paw, he wrote _RACHEL_ in the mud. Finn's face twisted with confusion.

"Rachel? You can write? What are you, some kind of super dog or something?"

Finn shook his head. "Nah, maybe it's just a coincidence. But you're right; you'd make the perfect friend for my friend Rachel. We just lost a very special friend and she was hit the hardest. She could **really** use a friend, but one that could ALWAYS cheer her up. I was just about to visit her, you can come too! Let's just get you cleaned up."

He took a towel out of the backpack her was carrying and wiped the mud off Will's paw. Then he took out some cologne and sprayed him with it.

"How at least you smell decent. You ready?"

Will barked as a yes so Finn scooped him up in his arms and they headed to Rachel's house. Finn knocked on the door and both of Rachel's Dads answered.

"Hey, Finn! It's great to see you! How have you been?"

Finn smiled. "I've been okay. I can't believe it was only yesterday when we found out…" his voice faltered. "Anyway, how's Rachel doing? I came over to check up on her."

Rachel's Dads' faces fell. "She's still blaming herself. She hasn't moved from her bed since we picked her up from the hospital yesterday."

Finn sighed and nodded. "Oh, that's sad. Can I go inside and see her?"

"Sure, go ahead." They opened the door wider and he stepped inside.

"Is that your dog, Finn?"

Suddenly Finn remembered that he was still carrying Will. "Oh yeah, I found him wandering the streets on my way here, but I can't keep him because my Mom's allergic. I thought he'd make a good friend for Rachel though."

"Aww he's so cute!" one of the Dads said. "Why don't you leave him with us while you go check on her? I don't think the first thing she'll want to see after waking up is an excited dog licking her face. We'll introduce him to her later and say he's from you."

Will's tail stopped wagging in disappointment. Looks like he'll have to cheer her up later. Finn put him on the floor and went to Rachel's room while her Dad's played with Will. He knocked on the door.

"Rachel? It's me Finn. Can I come in?"

There was no answer. Finn opened the door and saw Rachel lying face-down on her bed. He sat on the bed and rubbed her back.

"Rachel, honey, you okay?"

Rachel looked up and Finn was shocked to see the look on her face. Her hair was messy and her make-up was smeared all over her face. She looked like she was hit by a bus.

"Hello, Finn, I'm fine. I'm just still trying to process things."

Finn smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Yeah we're all still recovering."

Rachel sat up on the bed. "What are we going to do without him? Nationals are coming up soon and that's a big loss for us!"

Finn sighed. "Yeah, I know. But we have to do our best, for Mr. Shuester. He'd want that for us."

Rachel nodded and put her head on his shoulder.

"Oh, Rachel, I almost forgot! I have a surprise for you that'll cheer you up."

She shook her head. "I don't think anything would cheer me up after this loss."

He smiled. "Trust me, you'll like this. But first let's get you cleaned up. You look like you just got hit by a bus!"

He led her to the bathroom to clean her up.

Meanwhile, Will was listening at the door while her Dads ate breakfast. When Finn and Rachel came back from the bathroom, she sat on the bed and Finn came out to get him. He squatted down, picked him up and brought him in the room.

"Say hello to our new friend."

He put Will on the bed and sat down. Will started barking excitedly and jumped on Rachel, licking her face. Rachel sat back laughing.

"Where'd you get him?"

Finn shrugged. "I found him while I was on my way here, but I can't keep him because my Mom's allergic. I thought he'd be a good friend to you, though."

Rachel looked at Will sadly and gave him to Finn. Will whimpered.

"He can't replace Mr. Shuester, Finn. I can't keep him."

Finn rubbed Will's head. "He won't replace Mr. Shuester, Rachel. I just thought you'd need a friend to keep you company when we're not around. He's a really nice dog!"

Will barked in agreement. "Yes, Rachel! I'll be a loyal friend to you. Please keep me!"

Suddenly Finn remembered the mud incident. "I think he's like a super-dog or something. When I told him that I couldn't keep him, he ran to a mud puddle and wrote _RACHEL_ with his paw! Isn't that weird?"

Rachel stared at Will shocked. "Yeah, that's totally weird." She looked at Finn. "But still, I don't think even the company of a dog can replace my loss."

Finn put Will on the bed and hugged Rachel. "At least give him a chance." He picked up will and held him up to her face. "I mean, how can you resist this cute little face?"

Will took that as his cue to put on the cutest face he could make. Rachel smiled.

"That's not fair…I guess I could give him a chance. But it won't change anything."

Will perked up. His tail started wagging excitedly again as he jumped up licking her face again.

Finn laughed. "Good girl. Well I'm gonna bolt; I have to check on everyone else. I'll call you later, okay?"

Rachel nodded and hugged Finn. "Thanks for checking up on me."

He patted her shoulder. "It's going to take a while for all this to sink in, but we'll pull through…just like a family."

He left the room. Will looked from the door back to Rachel and wagged his tail. Rachel laughed and scratched him behind his ears. "Looks like I only have you now." She sighed.

Her Dads came in the room. "Hey pumpkin, how are you?"

"I'm fine, and I guess I have a brand new friend." She patted Will.

One of her Dads laughed. "I can see that. Well if we're going to keep him, we're going to need dog supplies like a bed and bowl and such. Daddy and I are gonna go get those. Would you like to come?"

"No thank you. I think this dog needs time to adjust to his new home and I can't leave him alone."

_**Later**_

By the end of the day, Will had a brand new comfy bed and a food and water bowl. He jumped around in the bed, trying to break it in.

_I could get used to this!_

Rachel laughed. "I guess he likes it!"

After everyone went to bed, Will suddenly felt really lonely. He jumped out of his bed and headed to Rachel's room. He jumped on the bed and started licking her face until she woke up.

"What are you doing here? Are you lonely?"

Will whimpered.

"I am too. I guess you can sleep here tonight."

He snuggled up next to her on her pillow.

_Sweet dreams, Rachel. I love you._


	4. I'll Call You Will

The next couple of days flew by so fast; neither Will nor Rachel could remember it. Every day, Rachel would go to school while her Dads worked. Will was so well behaved; they trusted him enough to be left home alone without making a mess. They also installed a dog door on the door that led to the backyard in case he needed to use the bathroom or roam around. Will also found a hole in the fence that stretched around the backyard so if he got tired of being cooped up in the house for too long, he's crawl through the hole and wander around town until it was almost time for Rachel to be home from school. When she got home, he'd run to her barking excitedly. She'd always come home with a sad look on her face but it would always light up when he came to her.

One day, she looked increasingly sad and ignored him when he came barking at her. She went straight to her room and closed the door. Will, sensing something was wrong, went to her door and listened. She seemed to be crying.

"Oh, Will. It's only been a few days since you died, but the entire school is mourning for you. Miss Holiday has been your replacement for Spanish and Glee but we all still miss you. The Glee Club even made a little memorial for you in the Choir Room and after rehearsals; we sing a song to it every day. We wish you were here with us…"

Will pushed the door open and saw her sitting on the bed staring at the wall. He jumped on the bed and landed so hard it startled her out of her trance.

"Oh, hey there, little fella. I guess you heard me talking to myself, huh?"

Will didn't say anything, he just wagged his tail.

"I guess you've also noticed me with a sad look on my face every day when I come home from school. Can I tell you _why_ I'm sad?"

Will barked and Rachel took that as a "yes", but he was _really_ saying "I know, Rachel. You're sad because of me."

"Well a few days ago, the day before Finn found you, we lost a very special friend of ours. He was our Spanish teacher and Glee Club director. Do you want to see a picture of him?"

She reached into a decorated box on her nightstand and pulled out a picture of the whole Glee Club after Regionals. When she set it on the bed, he walked up to the picture and tapped his face with his paw over and over again. Rachel's face twisted with confusion.

"Yeah, that's him. How'd you know? First you can write, then you know my name and now you know the friend that we lost? You are some _weird_ dog!"

Will sighed, looks like he'd have to try harder to communicate with her.

"Well anyway, he was very special to _me_. You see, I was madly in love with him."

That last statement made his heart beat at a rapid pace. _What?_

"Yup…I was in love. It wasn't just a small schoolgirl crush or puppy love….it was like…a passionate love. It all started when our assignment for Glee was ballads and he was my partner. I kept noticing that his…eyes were _amazingly_ beautiful, his teeth were absolutely perfect and his voice…" Her voice trailed off. "His voice was the sweetest voice I've ever heard. Like the Phantom in _Phantom of the Opera_. When we sang, it was like it was meant to be. I wanted to tell him so much that I loved him, but now he's gone." Her eyes filled with tears.

Will's eyes starting watering too. She noticed and was shocked. **(Remember back in chapter 2, I gave him some human qualities that normal dogs don't have)**

"Wait, are you _crying?_ Dogs can't cry! They can't write, they don't know names, they don't know peoples' faces and the **certainly** can't cry! What kind of beagle are you?"

Will whimpered and walked away from her. She suddenly felt sorry and ashamed.

"Hey, hey I'm really sorry for yelling. I was just shocked, I mean come on, who's ever seen a dog that can write, knows names and faces and can cry? I didn't mean it, really. Once I look past all the shock, I realize that you're _special_. You're those kinds of unique dogs that can do human things, too. I'm sorry for yelling."

He jumped up to her and started licking her face. She giggled and he started barking excitedly, but he was _really_ trying to say, "Rachel, I was hoping you'd feel the same way!I love you too and I wish there was some way I could tell you but it's hard. I'll try my best to be the best friend you've ever had, sweetheart."

Rachel set him down and picked up the picture. "Okay, so his name is Will Shuester-"

_BARK!_

Rachel smiled. "Yes, now Will-"

_BARK!_

"Yeah, Will-"

_BARK!_

"Stop barking, boy! Will-"

_BARK!_

"Why do you keep barking every time I say Will?"

_BARK!_

"You like the name Will, don't you?" 

_BARK!_

Rachel laughed. "I guess your new name would be Will then. But I can't replace Will Shuester, though!"

_BARK!_

"No, I'm not naming you Will Shuester. That would be unfaithful to my love for him. I guess I could just call you _Will_, there's a big difference between you and the _real_ Will Shuester."

Will sat on the bed laughing inside. _Honey, you have __**no**__ idea._

Rachel nodded. "Okay, it's settled. I'll call you Will, as long as I remind myself of the difference. You and me, we're going to be the best of friends, I promise you that."

Suddenly they heard the front door open and her Dads called into the house.

"Sweetheart, we're home! Are you okay?"

They wandered into the room.

"Aww isn't that cute?"

Rachel smiled and scratched Will behind the ears. "I'm going to call him Will. I know he can't replace Mr. Shuester, but he's more like a temporary…you know like a tattoo."

Her Dads smiled. "Okay, we're glad Finn gave him to you. He seems like a good influence. We're going to start dinner." They left the room.

Rachel cuddled Will and whispered, "Don't worry; your special secret is safe with me."


	5. Mr Shuester's Tribute

**This chapter gets sad toward the end **

Rachel had Will for about a week and suddenly she felt all her sadness and pain go away. Whenever she needed to let out her sadness or frustration, she'd let it all out to him while he sat patiently and listened, but inside, he was hurting for her. He was also having a hard time communicating with her trying to show her that he is the _real_ Will Shuester, but Rachel just assumed they were all just unique dog tricks.

One night she decided to take him to school with her.

"Daddies, I'm taking Will with me to school."

Her Dads' eyes widened in shock and they shook their heads.

"Um, honey, we're sorry to break this to you, but in case you didn't know, **no school** allows dogs in school! They only allow seeing-eye dogs for blind people."

"But he's well behaved! He doesn't bark too much, only when necessary and he's special! He can write, he knows names and faces and he can cry! He won't be a bother!"

"Sweetheart, you'd be breaking a _major_ school rule and can get in lots of trouble!"

Will sat by her feet shocked at what he heard. She wanted to take him to school? He didn't want her to get in trouble!

Rachel wasn't going to give up without a fight. "But I _need_ him! Haven't you noticed that since Finn gave him to me, I haven't been sad anymore?"

"Well…he _has_ been a good influence on you since…you know. But still, I don't think your principal will let you."

She shook her head. "I'll email Principal Figgins and see what he says. He's _very_ caring, you know."

Later that night, Rachel told her Dads, "He's a bit reluctant, but he told me to take him in tomorrow so he can see how well behaved Will is. If he approves, then Will stays with me. If he doesn't behave, he goes home with you."

Her Dads nodded. "Fair enough, though I hope you know what you're doing."

_**The Next Day at School**_

Rachel, her Dads and Will sat in Principal Figgins' office waiting for him to arrive.

"Now be on your best behavior, Will. I want you here with me and the whole Glee club wants to meet you so don't disappoint me, okay?" She whispered to him.

Figgins' came in a few minutes later.

"Is this the dog?"

Rachel nodded. "Yes, sir, this is Will. I named him Will because he kept barking every time I said that name."

Figgins raised an eyebrow. "Will he bark if you say it now?"

That made her nervous. "Um…I don't think so, but let's see." She looked at Will. "Will, here boy?"

Will stayed silent but tilted his head in confusion.

Figgins seemed impressed. "Okay, he seems fine. You also mentioned that he has special abilities?"

Rachel scratched Will's ears. "Yes, he can write, he knows names and faces, and he can cry the same way a human can."

This seemed to excite Figgins. "A dog that can do all that? I would most definitely like to see that!" He took a piece of paper out of his desk and pen and gave it to Will. Rachel looked worried.

"Um, actually sir, he only writes in like mud with his paw-"

But Will picked up the pen in his mouth and started writing. When he was done, they all looked at the paper and were utterly shocked. He wrote _RACHEL AND PRINCIPAL FIGGINS_ in big, perfect, cursive letters. Figgins dropped the paper and clutched his chest.

"My, my, that dog _is_ talented! Yes, Miss Berry, he can be your companion that you can take along to school for as long as you like!" He stood up, cleared his throat and became serious again. "I'll alert your teachers. I'm sure they'll understand that he's been a good influence on you since…" His voice trailed off.

"Just make sure he's on his **ABSOLUTE BEST BEHAVIOR** or this will be his first and last visit here. I can't have any disturbances and I certainly don't want teachers left and right calling me because he keeps barking, tearing up classrooms and peeing everywhere, understood?"

Rachel squealed with joy and hugged her Dads. Will barked excitedly jumping up and down. The first tardy bell rang and as her Dads bid her good-bye, she slipped Will into her big purse with his head sticking out. Her first class was Spanish…the class that made her dread every single day since the accident, but with Will with her, she felt confident enough to make it through the day.

Before they walked through the door, she said, "Now you get to see the first thing that makes me sad every day. Remember when I told you that Mr. Shuester was my Spanish teacher before he…died? Well now Ms. Holiday takes over. Remember, you **promised** to be on your best behavior."

Will licked her face and Rachel walked in. The whole class stared at her and Ms. Holiday smiled.

"Hi, Rachel! How are you feeling?"

Rachel smiled back. "I'm just fine, Ms. Holiday."

Ms. Holiday eyed Will in her bag. "Is that the dog Principal Figgins told us about?"

Rachel smiled and looked at Will. "Yes, this is my new friend Will. He's been helping me overcome my sadness of the…past recent event and I asked Principal Figgins to let me carry him around school."

Ms. Holiday looked confused. "Don't most schools not permit dogs on campus unless you're blind and need a seeing-eye dog?"

Rachel nodded. "Well yes, but Will is **very** well behaved. He doesn't bark much unless he feels the need to, which isn't often. To me, he's practically human."

Ms. Holiday came over and scratched his ears. "Well he seems well behaved…I guess he won't be a bother. But I can't have him disrupting class-"

Rachel interrupted, "No, I promise he won't! He's really sweet and I need him, Ms. Holiday!"

Will whimpered and looked at Ms. Holiday with the most adorable eyes a dog could make. This softened her.

"Aww, I can't turn that away. Okay, he'll be fine. Please take your seat, Rachel. What's his name?"

"His name is Will."

This shocked Ms. Holiday. "Rachel…you didn't name him Will after…after…."

"No, I named him Will because he always barked whenever I said the word Will. Even though it helps me forget…" Her voice trailed off and she took her seat. Ms. Holiday went to the board and started writing.

"Okay, class today we're learning about cognitive verbs…"

Rachel leaned down and whispered, "Think you can help me in Spanish?"

When the class got their class work, Will sat on her lap and watched her work on it, barking if she got a question wrong. Then he'd climb on top of the desk and point to which ones and nodded to her textbook. When she was done and handed it in, Ms. Holiday checked it and was impressed.

"I see your dog is a great tutor.

_**Later Before Glee Rehearsal**_

Rachel stood before the door to the choir room shaking.

"It's only been a week, and today we're having a special tribute to him…but I don't think I can go in."

Will, who was walking along beside her looked at her worriedly. _I don't think I can either._

Still, he wanted Rachel to get better so he nudged her in. She took a deep breath and opened the door. When they got inside, they felt the sadness and gloom take over them. Everyone sat in their seats sadly waiting for Ms. Holiday to arrive. Some girls were crying and some boys just had blank stares on their faces. The only person who moved was Finn. He got up and made his way toward Rachel.

"Hey, Rachel how are you?" He gave her a hug.

She returned the hug. "I've been doing better thanks to your gift."

Finn looked down at Will and was shocked. "You actually _brought_ him? Isn't that against the rules?"

She shrugged. "I got special permission from Principal Figgins. And he's actually been helping me recover."

Finn smiled. "That's good to hear." He squatted down and pet Will. "Hey, little buddy! Remember me? Rachel, what's his name?"

"I named him Will."

That last statement made everyone look at her. Finn stood up and awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Um…Will? Why Will? You didn't name him after…"

Rachel interrupted again. "No, Finn, I _did not_ name him after Mr. Shuester. Remember when you told me that you thought he was a super-dog or something because he could write and knew faces? Well I was telling him about Mr. Shuester and he kept barking every time I said Will, so that's what I named him. There's no connection, I swear."

Finn nodded. "Okay, if you're sure. Why did you bring him?"

Because he's the best friend a person could ever have. At school, I felt numb…no sense of feeling at all. But when I got home, he'd always be there. He'd listen to me let out my frustration and he knows when I need company and when I need to be left alone. He's practically human to me."

The door opened and Ms. Holiday, Miss Pillsbury and Coach Sylvester came in.

"Hey guys." Ms. Holiday said. "I asked Miss Pillsbury and Coach Sylvester to come join us today because they knew Mr. Shuester very well, too. Before we begin our tribute to him, I think we should all talk about how much he meant to all of us. Who wants to start?"

Rachel sat down and held Will in her lap. "I don't think I can go through with this."

Will licked her face as if to say, _yes you can, Rachel. I believe in you_."

Mercedes raised her hand. "Mr. Shue was like a father figure to all of us. He helped us all feel like we belong and be comfortable with ourselves."

"Mr. Shue helped me be comfortable with being in a wheelchair and encouraged me not to give up my dream of walking again." Artie said.

"Mr. Shuester made me a better person. After being in Glee for a while, I didn't want to be a mean person anymore." Santana said.

"Mr. Shuester helped me realize the aspects of the real world…that it wasn't rainbows and gumdrops like in Candy land." Brittany said.

"Mr. Shue made me realize that being bad and stealing junk didn't help anyone, especially me. It just gave me more to clean up in my house." Puck said.

"Mr. Shuester actually let me have some spotlight by giving me a solo for once." Tina said.

"Mr. Shue actually helped me be _more _than just a dancer." Mike said.

"Mr. Shue helped me find a place to belong during my pregnancy when I didn't belong anywhere else." Quinn said.

"Mr. Shuester helped me be okay with being on both the Glee Club and the football team." Sam said.

"Will helped me overcome my OCD." Miss Pillsbury said.

"Will was a tough cookie who believed in his students. And throughout my numerous plots to destroy the Glee Club, his strength and determination overcame it." Sue said.

"Will helped me find romance. I'm really going to miss him." Ms. Holiday said.

"Mr. Shue was the only teacher I knew who would ask you how you were doing and actually listened to your problems." Finn said.

Everyone looked at Rachel as she sat there silently.

"Rachel…are you okay?" Ms. Holiday asked.

Rachel looked at her. "Yes…I'm fine."

Ms. Holiday looked worried. "Um…would you like to share with everyone what Mr. Shuester meant to you?"

Rachel looked at Will but he wagged his tail excitedly as if to say _you can do it!_

She took a deep breath. "Mr. Shuester…what could I possibly say? He saw right through my diva attitude. He helped me see that everyone can be a star, not just me. He actually cared about his students and their well being and kept us together like a family. He was like our best friend when we had no one to turn to." Her eyes started to fill with tears. "He was the only adult we all knew who cared about us the most. I can't believe he was taken from us so soon!"

The girls completely lost it. After about half an hour, everyone calmed down.

"Well that was refreshing." Ms. Holiday said. "Now, our assignment was to pick an I Miss You song to sing in honor of Mr. Shuester's memory. Who would like to start?"

Santana sang _My Immortal _by Evanescence.

Finn sang _Wake Me up When September Ends_ by Green Day.

Puck sang _Here without You _by 3 Doors Down.

Quinn sang _I Miss You_ by Miley Cyrus.

Will's heart sank with every song they sang but he couldn't cry because he had to be strong for Rachel.

Sam and Mike teamed up and sang _Every Breath You Take_ by The Police.

Puck and Santana teamed up and sang _Set the Fire to the Third Bar_ by Snow Patrol and Martha Wainright.

Mercedes sang _We Belong Together_ by Mariah Carrey.

Tina and Mike teamed up and sang _Where'd You Go_ by Fort Minor.

Then it was Rachel's turn. It took her a few seconds to gather herself but when she did; she made her way to the front of the room and started singing.

_You were once my one companion  
You were all that mattered  
You were once a friend and father  
Then my world was shattered  
_

Will's heart broke as she kept singing. Suddenly he heard Gabby's voice in his mind.

"_I can turn you into a human, but just until the end of the song. Would you like that?_"

He nodded and closed his eyes. When he opened them, he felt a lot taller, so he looked down and saw that he was wearing regular clothes. He was about to jump up and stop the song but Gabby interrupted.

"_Focus! Don't draw any attention. Remember, this is just until the end of the song so she can gain confidence."_

_Wishing you were somehow here again  
Wishing you were somehow near  
Sometimes it seemed if I just dreamed  
Somehow you would be here_

For a split second, she could have _sworn_ she saw the _real_ Will Shuester sitting in her seat where her dog was supposed to be sitting. He smiled at her and she thought the more she sang, the longer his spirit would linger.

_Wishing I could hear your voice again  
Knowing that I never would  
Dreaming of you helped me to do  
All that you dreamed I could_

She was about to stop singing but he gestured for her to keep singing, so she did.

_Passing bells and sculpted angels, cold and monumental  
Seem for you the wrong companion, you were warm and gentle_

Too many years  
Fighting back tears  
Why can't the past just die!

Wishing you were here again  
Knowing we must say goodbye

Try to forgive  
Teach me to live  
Give me the strength to try!

No more memories  
No more silent tears  
No more gazing across the wasted years

Help me say goodbye  
Help me say goodbye!

After that last note, he disappeared and Will was back into dog form. Rachel saw the transformation but shook her head. There's no way he could have been there, she thought. I must be missing him too much.

Everyone ran up to her and gave her a hug. When they returned to their seats, Ms. Holiday said, "Everyone, please bow your heads."

When everyone did, she said a prayer. "Will, it's only been a week since we lost you, and as you can see we were deeply affected by it. But we will remain strong just like you would have wanted. Please watch over us during this tough time. Amen."

Everyone whispered "Amen" and rehearsal was dismissed.

Ms. Holiday came up to Rachel and put her hand on her shoulder. "You were _really_ brave going up there and overcoming your sadness. Mr. Shuester would have been proud."

Rachel nodded and put Will back in her purse.

"Let's go home."

**Whew…I told you it would get longer!**


	6. Endless Love

**Okay…I'm missing readers and reviews…not cool, people! So here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to write this chapter and wait one week. If I have NO reviews by the end of that week then by yonder blessed moon I SWEAR this story is going down the toilet! Thank you and have a nice day.**

When Rachel and Will got home from school that day, she took him out of her bag and plopped on the couch.

"Thanks, for helping me out today. It really meant a lot to me. But…when I was singing, I noticed something really weird. When I was singing, I looked up and saw Will Shuester sitting in my seat where you were! But then when my song was done, he disappeared and I saw you. Do you think his spirit is haunting the choir room?"

Will just sat there and tilted his head to the side. She was _so_ close to figuring out his secret!

She shrugged. "I haven't even visited his office yet. Maybe if I go in there, his spirit will come to me and…no, that's silly."

Will nodded. He had another idea…

That night she woke to the sound of a piano playing. She looked and saw that Will wasn't next to her but she assumed that it was one of her Dads playing so she got up and headed toward the piano.

The minute Will heard her door squeak open, he waited. Rachel finally came around and looked confused.

"What are you doing here? You couldn't have been the one playing, could you? But if you were, I guess we could add that to the list of special abilities."

He jumped off the bench and started going through her endless stack of piano books until he finally came to the one he wanted. He picked it, placed it at her feet and used his nose to flip the pages until he got to a particular one. Then he jumped back on top of the bench.

Rachel stooped down to pick up the book and took a look at the page. She saw the title, dropped the book and screamed. Will was going to play _Endless Love._

"No, no please don't play this! This was Will and me's song! It's way too soon!"

Will just shrugged and started playing. Suddenly…Rachel felt a sudden warmness overcome her body and she closed her eyes.

While her eyes were closed, Gabby took another opportunity to change him into a human so he could sing with her.

When she opened her eyes, she almost let a sob escape. Will Shuester was once again in her presence, sitting on the bench playing the piano.

"Sing with me, Rachel." He said.

_My love,  
There's only you in my life  
The only thing that's right_

Rachel, clutching her chest opened her mouth and sang the next verse.

_My first love,  
You're every breath that I take  
You're every step I make_

She could hardly believe it…was this a dream, or was she hallucinating? She reached out and touched his cheek…it felt totally real.

_And I  
(And I-I-I)  
I want to share  
All my love with you  
No one else will do..._

She started breathing heavily but he gave her hand a squeeze and she sang again.

_And your eyes  
Your eyes, your eyes  
They tell me how much you care  
Ooh yes, you will always be  
My endless love_"

She took a seat on the bench next to him. He focused on the keys, occasionally looking at her lovingly.

_Two hearts,  
Two hearts that beat as one  
Our lives have just begun _

_And Forever  
I'll hold you close in my arms  
I can't resist your charms  
_

_And love  
and, love  
I'll be a fool  
For you,  
I'm sure  
You know I don't mind _

_'Cause baby you  
You mean the world to me  
Oh  
I know  
I've found in you  
My endless love _

_Oooh, and love  
Oh, love  
I'll be that fool  
For you,  
I'm sure  
That You know I don't mind  
Oh you know-  
I don't mind _

_And, YES  
You'll be the only one  
'Cause no one no one can deny  
This love I have inside  
And I'll give it all to you  
My love  
My love, my love  
My endless love_

He leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. When he pulled back, she touched her lips with her fingers, feeling the tingling sensation lingering on them.

He smiled. "I love you so much, Rachel. I always have and I always will."

Rachel shook with uncontrollable sobs and she threw her arms around him.

"Will…this is all my fault! If I didn't call you, maybe you wouldn't have crashed!"

Will pulled back and held her by her shoulders.

"Rachel, look at me. I need you to stop blaming yourself. My death was _not_ your fault, sweetheart!"

He leaned in and whispered "And I never actually left. I'm a _lot_ closer than you think."

Suddenly the clock struck midnight. Rachel blinked and suddenly Will the dog was sitting next to her on the piano bench wagging his tail excitedly. What did all that mean? Was she hallucinating?

Her Dads suddenly appeared in the room.

"Pumpkin, was that you playing the piano? What are you still doing up?"

Rachel looked from Will to her Dads.

"I…I saw him! Mr. Shuester! He was here, playing the piano and we sang together!"

Her Dads looked confused. One of them walked up to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Honey…what are you talking about? He couldn't have been here playing the piano….he's…"

"No, no…I woke up to the sound of someone playing the piano so I went to check and I saw Will sitting on the piano bench. He…started to play _Endless Love_ and I closed my eyes for just a second but when I opened them, Mr. Shuester was sitting on the bench playing the piano…and we sang together…but then the clock struck midnight and I just blinked for a second and then the dog was sitting on the bench. "

Her Dads just stared at her in shock. "So…what are you assuming?"

Rachel just stared at them for a few seconds.

"I…I…think Mr. Shuester was reincarnated as my dog!"

Her Dads looked at each other. "Um…reincarnated? I think you need to talk to someone about this hallucination, sweetie. I don't think fully over Mr. Shuester's death yet."

She shook her head. "You think I'm crazy, don't you?"

"Rachel, we don't think you're crazy. This is just a possible side effect to your grieving. Yes, we think the idea is a bit far-fetched, but we'd _never_ think you're crazy!"

She looked at Will and back at her Dads. "I think I am crazy."

Her Dads kissed the top of her head. "Don't ever tell yourself that, honey. Just sleep it off, okay?"

Then they went to bed. She looked at Will.

"Okay…you're part of this too so I want a straight answer. _**ARE**_ you a reincarnation of Will Shuester?"

Will tilted his head in confusion. He _desperately_ wanted to tell her the truth but he was having fun playing this game. Rachel sighed in frustration.

"I guess I'll just sleep it off. Maybe I was just imagining things."

She picked him up and went to the bedroom. She set him on the bed and knelt beside the bed in prayer.

"Will, I know you're up there. I _know_ I wasn't seeing things those past two times…you were _really_ there. Are you trying to communicate with me? Please come find me…even if it's in my dreams. Good-night."

She crawled into bed and Will snuggled up with her. Maybe if he tried hard enough, he'd visit her in her dreams…

**Alright, you know the deal! Get to it if you want to save this story from being cancelled!**


	7. Only You

**Hey, hey guys and gals! I'm terribly sorry for not updating, but you know…high school. And to add to that, I'm a contestant in a beauty pageant that's happening next week, so wish me luck! So enjoy this chapter please!**

_**Dream Sequence**_

Rachel opened her eyes and saw Will Shuester (in human form) sitting at a café table, but this time she knew it was a dream because it was only seconds ago that she fell asleep. She took a seat next to him and he took her hand.

"I knew you'd come to me, Will. I just knew it."

Will smiled. "I'm sure you did. How have you been, Rachel?"

"Well, actually not really well. You see, I've been hallucinating for days of my dog taking your shape…but whenever I blink or something, all I see is my dog again. Isn't that odd?"

He nodded sympathetically. "Yes, that is very strange. What are you thinking?"

She hesitated before answering. "I'm not entirely sure. Everyone keeps saying that my visions are just a side effect to my grieving because I'm not fully over your death. But I _know_ I'm not crazy!"

"Honey, no one ever said you were crazy."

She pulled her hand back. "Will, I need you to answer me one question. And I want a _straight_ answer."

Will leaned forward and took her hand again. "I'm listening, sweetheart."

Rachel looked him straight in the eye. "Are you reincarnated as my dog?"

He leaned back in his seat. "I think that's for you to think about."

"Will, _please_, I'm serious! Are you or are you not?"

He shook his head. "Look, I know that I'm the only one who can actually tell you, but remember this is a dream so what I say or do may not be reasonable. I don't think I should be the one to answer this."

"What are you talking about? It's a yes or no question, Will."

He sighed. "Okay, I'm going to try and explain this as simple as possible. You're not going to feel any better if I just blurt out the answer, because maybe I am and maybe I'm not. Everyone likes a good cliffhanger sometimes."

Rachel shook her head. "I don't understand, just answer the question, Will! Are you my dog or not?"

He leaned forward and took her hand again. "That's for you to decide. Look deep into your heart, and in time you will know. But for now, just live and enjoy your life as it can, especially now that you have a new friend."

She looked down sadly. "He could never replace you."

"I don't think he was meant to replace me, I think he was just sent as the missing piece of your heart that broke when I died." When she wouldn't look at him, he sighed. "I'll tell you what; tomorrow during Glee rehearsal, go into my office and look in my desk because I left something for you. I specifically instructed for it to be delivered to you if anything happened to me…no, I didn't predict my death; I just wanted to be prepared. "

The actual truth was that a few days ago during Glee rehearsal, he snuck into his office and wrote a note addressed to Rachel and slipped it in his desk and returned to the room before anyone noticed that he was missing.

Rachel suddenly started crying softly.

"I miss you so much Will, it hurts. It's hard going to school every day knowing I won't see your smiling face anymore."

Will pulled her into a warm embrace. "I'm never gone, Rachel. I'm _always_ with you. In fact, ever day I'm a _lot_ closer to you than you think."

"Wait…you said that already! About an hour ago, I suffered another hallucination; my dog started playing _Endless Love_ and all of a sudden you appeared and we sang the song together and when the song was over you said that you were a lot closer than I thought. What do you mean?"

He stroked her hair. "Look into your heart, Rachel. Only _you_ can answer your questions and in time, it'll all make sense, I promise. But now it's time for you to wake up."

Rachel grabbed his arm tightly. "But I don't want you to go! Will I ever see you again? Will you visit me, not only in my dreams, but in real life too?"

Will shrugged. "I don't know. But seriously, you need to wake up, honey. I can't have you oversleeping and being late for school! You'll see me again soon, I promise."

She gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

"Now wake up! Wake up…wake up…"

She could see his face dissolving until she heard the sound of repeated barks. She opened her eyes and saw Will the dog on top of her, barking madly.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" She rubbed her eyes tiredly. "I had a really nice dream. Now I'm not too sure about you, but with a bit of time I think I'll be able to figure things out." She looked at the clock. "But right now, it's time to get ready for school!"

**Short, but sweet, I think. What do you think?**


	8. The Letter

**Okay, it's 12 a.m. as I write this. Not sure how far I'll get because the pageant is next week and I'll be very busy until it's over but I'll try to come up with good chapters when I can. It took me a few days to write this cause I was lacking inspiration. Enjoy this or face my wrath! Thank you.**

When Rachel got to the choir room, everyone greeted her with a hug. They all started to take interest in Will so while they played with him, she took the opportunity to sneak into Will's office but Finn stopped her.

"Rachel, what are you doing?"

Rachel stopped and tried to think of an excuse. "It's been about a week, Finn. I _have_ to go in there if I want to feel better."

Finn nodded sympathetically. "I understand. Do you want me to come inside with you? I've been meaning to take a look around too. Figgins wanted me to help start clearing it out soon and I wanted to take one last look."

She was about to reject his proposal, but suddenly she really wanted some company.

"Sure, Finn, you can come with me. But why are you getting rid of his things?"

Finn's face twisted in confusion. "He's…gone, Rachel. He won't be using it anymore you know, and we can't just leave it sitting here!"

Rachel nodded in understanding. "Yes, I understand." She took his hand and they ventured into the office. It felt really spooky, with the quiet and the lights off.

"It's so creepy in here. Let me turn the lights on." Finn said and walked over to the light switch. Rachel looked around, hoping she might hear Will's voice whispering through the room but all she heard was silence. She was startled when Finn flipped the lights on.

"That's better. Are you okay, Rachel? You look a bit pale."

She looked at him and nodded. "I'm fine, Finn. I'm just a bit scared as you are about this room being so…quiet." Suddenly she remembered what Will said in her dream about leaving something for her in his desk. She walked to the desk, pulled open the front drawer and saw a letter with the words _RACHEL BERRY _on it. Finn looked at it and was about to ask what it was but then realized that it was private and she probably wanted to be left alone.

"I think I hear Ms. Holiday. I'll tell her where you are, okay?"

Rachel waited until she heard him close the door behind him before opening the letter. It was a full page and she shook with sobs as she began to read.

_My dearest Rachel,  
_

_I swear I've written this a million times, yet I still can't find the perfect way to say this. I was planning on giving this letter to you after Nationals, unless you got your hands on it before, you little nosey poke, but anyway if this letter gets into your hands before I deliver it to you, then pay attention because if you miss what I'm trying to say, I'll never be able to say it again in person. I love you, Rachel Berry. Now I know I was a bit harsh before, but now I'm pretty sure that I truly love you. When we first met, __you were just a snobby diva in my Glee Club, but you motivated the club and that was what I loved about you. I also loved that you were always dedicated to everything you wanted. Soon, I realized that I was falling deeply in love with you. You were there for me the whole way. In my relationships, you remained supportive of me. Even though they didn't work out, I know you still hoped for my happiness no matter what. I'm not sure you feel the same way; I just wanted to let you know how I felt about you. You are my light, my angel….the reason I get up every day. I'm sorry it took me forever to see that. I know you'll do great in the future…whatever you choose to do. Well…I pretty much just poured my heart out…cheesy huh? But at least I feel better. So...yeah, I guess this is the end of my letter. _

_With all the love in my heart,_

_Will Shuester_

Rachel clutched the letter to her chest and sobbed. Everyone heard her and rushed to the office, but I'm pretty sure you can guess who made it to her first.

Will sat there, unsure of how to feel. He saw that she was holding the letter, and he felt happy that she got it, but felt heartbroken that it made her react like this. Ms. Holiday pulled her into an embrace.

"Shhhh…it's okay Rachel. I know it took a lot of courage to come in here a week after…." Her voice trailed off. "He would have been proud of you." She looked at Finn. "Finn, can you take Rachel home?"

Finn nodded. Everyone silently helped gather her things. Puck put Will in her purse and gave it to Finn.

"Come on, Rachel, are you ready to go?"

She nodded and they silently left the room. He drove her home, but when they got there, she didn't want to get out of the car so Finn had to carry her inside. He set her on the couch and went back to the car to grab her things. When he got back, she pulled her knees up to her chin and began rocking.

"I can't believe he's _really_ gone, Finn."

He nodded and sat on the couch next to her. "Do you want me to stay with you until your Dads get home?"

She looked at him. "Finn, this may sound silly, but why are you being so nice to be?"

Finn looked confused. "Am I never nice?"

She shook her head again. "Oh, sorry, my mind's a bit fuzzy right now."

He smiled and patted her shoulder. "It's okay, you had a rough day. But to answer your question, I'm being nice because you're like a little sister to me. We've been through a lot, and I care about you! And we've all been affected by Mr. Shue's death, so we have to help each other out, you know?"

She nodded and shivered. "I'm a little cold. Can you get me a blanket from the upstairs closet?"

Finn went to get the blanket and Rachel looked at Will. He stared back at her concerned.

"Are you happy now? I got the letter…was that the reaction you wanted?"

He walked away sadly and sat by the couch. Finn came back with the blanket and wrapped it around her and suddenly noticed him sitting there. He sat on the couch and patted his leg.

"Come here, boy!"

Rachel pouted. "No, Finn, I don't want him up here. He'll only upset me more."

Finn looked shocked. "What are you talking about? I think you upset _him_ more than he upset _you_."

Will jumped onto his lap and Rachel fell sideways onto the couch.

"I'm tired, Finn. I just want to sleep."

He nodded understandingly. "Okay, can I watch TV until your Dads get home?"

She shrugged and fell asleep. Suddenly she saw Will sitting at the same café table he was sitting at the night before watching her sadly.

"Rachel, I'm so sorry! I never meant for you to react to that letter. I actually thought you'd be…you know…happy."

She crossed her arms. "Will…in case you didn't know…you're _DEAD!_ And you're expecting me to be happy that I find out that you love me too late?"

He reached out and touched her hand. "I didn't know my death would come so soon, and yes, I'm a coward for not telling you sooner, but I thought the letter would…help comfort you or something."

She pulled her hand back. "But it doesn't change anything! If you told me sooner, we would have been together forever and ever but we can't!"

He nodded sadly. "Okay, I understand. This might take a while to sink in, so I'll leave you alone until it does. Good-bye, Rachel."

Her dream started to fade and she shot up on the couch screaming. "NO!"

She felt someone grab her shoulders and heard one of her Dads' voices. "Sweetheart, calm down!"

Everything came into focus and she saw her Dads kneeling next to her on the couch and Finn standing in the corner looking scared.

"Oh my goodness, that was scary!"

Her Dads looked concerned. "You were having a nightmare; do you want to talk about it?"

She really did, but how could she explain it? "No, I think I just need to…calm down and process everything." She looked at Finn. "You're still here?"

He nodded and inched closer to her. "Yeah, I watched TV until you're Dads just got home a few minutes ago but then you started tossing and turning and then when they tried to calm you down, you shot up screaming. Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded slowly. "Yeah, I'm fine."

"Okay…I'm rolling out then. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"

Her Dads nodded. "Thank you for watching her, Finn. She's see you tomorrow…good-night."

Finn left and they turned their attention back to Rachel.

"Pumpkin, are you _sure_ you don't want to talk about it?"

She got up from the couch and yawned. "I'm sure…and I'm pretty sure it's all over so I'm going to bed." She headed for her room_, _Will trailing behind her.

**Okay…there we go. I'm kind of lacking inspiration for what should happen next so if you have any ideas, feel free to share. Wish me luck on the pageant!**


	9. Don't Look Back

**FINALLY I have some free time to write before the pageant on Saturday! And yet again, I'm skipping ahead in time to keep the mood going, so enjoy!**

The next couple weeks were very stressful for everyone, especially Rachel.

Suddenly she's been plagued with nightmares…nightmares scary beyond anyone's' imagination. All the dreams ended with Will dying in various ways, and they became more painful and gruesome each time. They were so bad, she'd wake up in the middle of the night screaming, waking everyone in the house including Will. Her Dads tried taking turns sleeping with her, but no avail. Even some Glee club members volunteered to sleep over, but would hardly get any sleep due to her screaming. Will felt helpless each time because he couldn't comfort her and calm her down. He couldn't hold her hand or hold her close and whisper sweet words in her ear; all he could do was watch helplessly. After a while, her Dads felt that she'd probably wind up harming him so they made him sleep in his bed from now on.

However, one night after everyone went to bed, Will braced himself for her to start screaming again…but it was quiet. It was very suspicious so he left his bed and went to her room. There he saw her packing a suitcase with clothes, tears running down her face. When she saw him, she smiled sadly.

"I have to get out of here, Will! Right now, I'm being a danger to everyone, including you with my nightmares. I need to get away from everyone and let them have peace for once."

She went to her closet and grabbed a few shirts.

"And I need to start a new life. The more I stay in Lima, the more I'll be haunted with these nightmares. I need to have a fresh start…then maybe things won't be so complicated anymore."

She sighed and sat on the bed. He jumped on the bed and stared at her sadly.

_It's not complicated, Rachel, and running away from your problems won't solve anything._

She scratched him behind his ears. "I know what you're thinking, but I can't take you with me. I need you to stay here…for everyone. For my Dads, for Finn, for the whole Glee club, for all of Lima….and most importantly, I need you to stay here for me. Everyone's going to need something to remember me by."

He whimpered and crawled into her suitcase on top of her clothes. She shook her head and took him off.

"_No_, you're not coming! I need to forget everything! My past, my present…I need to forget it all and have a fresh start. It's quite obvious that Will Shuester is dead and won't be back, so what's the point in me staying?"

_Rachel, I'm sure I could list __**hundreds**__ of reasons why you should stay!_

She got up from the bed and looked out the window. Will saw soft tears falling from her eyes but she quickly brushed them away.

"No, no more tears. I'm done crying…I have to be strong if I want this. I'll go anywhere…it doesn't matter, as long as I forget." She looked at him. "I already left a note explaining everything. I know they'll probably be mad, but it's what's best for me so they should understand."

She went to the bed and hugged him tightly. He could even feel himself about to tear up.

"You've been the best friend I ever had since his death. I love you, Will. I'll be back for you someday, I promise."

_Rachel, don't go! We need you here_…not just us but especially me! Please, sweetheart, come to your senses!

She grabbed her suitcase and took one last look around the room. Then she made her way out of the room to the front door, but Will followed her. He blocked the door, barking and growling threateningly.

"Shhhh…you'll wake my Dads! This is _my_ choice, and honestly I think I'm doing the right thing! Now stand aside or I'll make you."

Will was torn; he desperately didn't want her to leave Lima, but he also agreed that she should decide what's best for her. Sadly, he moved away from the door. She bent down and hugged him close again.

"Thank you for always being there." She whispered. "I'll never forget you."

Slowly she got up, grabbed her suitcase and left the house closing the door behind her. Will ran to the nearest window and watched her take one last look at the house…and then leaves without looking back. His heart felt like it was breaking so he ran into her room, pounced onto the bed and buried his head into the pillows, taking in her scent. And he couldn't control the tears flooding from his eyes as his darling Rachel was going…going…gone.

**Boo! Left you with another cliffhanger, didn't I? I know it's a bit short, but I figured before I disappear for the pageant, I'd leave you all with a cliffhanger, so here you go! Ciao everyone!**


	10. Take Another Chance

**THE PAGEANT IS TONIGHT! And for some unknown reason, my excitement has given me the confidence to write another chapter! I'll do my best to make this chapter sweet and wickedly awesome!**

Will woke up the next morning on Rachel's bed, his memory fuzzy from last night. What happened again? Suddenly, visions of Rachel packing and leaving with tears in her eyes flashed before him and he started to cry again. He heard the sound of slamming doors and he knew that her Dads were searching for her. He hopped off the bed and went into the hallway and saw her Dads running around the house screaming her name. Finally they saw him.

"Hey, little buddy, have you seen Rachel?"

He **desperately** wanted to tell them what happened last night so they can make sure she's safe…but of course, the downside of being a dog is that they couldn't understand just constant barking, and he had no idea where she'd be by now so he just shook his head.

There was a knock on the door, but they were reluctant to open it. They were too stressed on finding Rachel. Still, it was probably someone who knew about her whereabouts, so they went to open it….and were surprised to see…Rachel.

She was a total mess. Her hair was disheveled and her face was stained with tears. Her eyes even looked tired from lack of sleep. Her Dads cried out with joy and threw themselves at her.

"Rachel Barbara Berry, sweetie, why on Earth would you pull a stunt like that?"

"Do you even know how **scared** we were?"

Rachel burst out in a fresh wave of sobs. Will sat there patiently, happy that she was home.

"You only left last night…where have you been? And why would you do that?"

Rachel sniffed and wiped away her tears. "Well, I knew that I was affecting everyone and harming myself with the nightmares, so I thought if I just disappeared, everyone would be happy. And I also thought that maybe if I started my life over, the nightmares would go away. But the minute I walked out the door, I started to regret it but I didn't want to turn back so soon so I just kept walking…until I suddenly came across…_his_ apartment."

Her Dads looked shocked.

"I went inside-"

"How did you get inside?" one of her Dads asked.

"He gave each Glee Club member a spare key in case we wanted someone to talk to or just to visit or whatever. Anyway, I went inside…it still smelled like it did the last time I went in there. I flipped on the lights and had an emotional breakdown."

Her Dad's nodded sympathetically as she paused to catch her breath.

"Everything was still in its place. I really don't know why no one's bothered to sell the house and his things because it's been weeks since the…accident. But it still looked the same…as if he still existed and he was just gone for the evening. Everything still worked, too. The electricity, the water, the TV…everything worked."

Will was surprised. Why _didn't_ anyone get rid of his things and sell his apartment? Isn't that what usually happens when someone dies?

"I wandered around the house…my heart sinking deeper with every room I looked in. My heart practically _shattered_ when I got to his bedroom. It hasn't been touched in weeks…yet it still looked occupied and neat."

She remembered collapsing on the bed, shaking with sobs and taking in his scent…still there on the pillows…and still smelling strongly of him.

"Well at some point, I wound up falling asleep. Then…I saw him in my dreams.

_Flashback_

_Rachel awoke and found Will (the human not the dog) sitting on the bed._

"_I knew you'd somehow find sanctuary here." He said smiling._

_She sat up and threw her arms around him. "Will, I've missed you so much!"_

"_Why would you run away, Rachel?"_

_She looked down sadly. "I did this to __**help**__ everyone. They were all starting to get sick of me blubbering and weeping. And I thought that maybe if I started over, the nightmares would go away."_

_He sighed and opened his arms so she could crawl into his embrace. "Honey, running away won't fix anything. Everyone __**needs**__ you. You can't just turn your back on them. You have to go back home, Rachel, and go back to living your life normally."_

_She shook her head violently. "No, I can't do it without you! How am I supposed to go back to my normal life when you're not around anymore?"_

"_Rachel…think about the Glee Club. Nationals is coming up soon and they need a leader to help them through all this. Stop being so selfish and think of someone else for once!"_

_She sat there stunned._

"_You need to get back on your feet. Do it for everyone…for your Dads, for the Glee Club, for Ms. Holiday…and mostly do it for me. You can do it, sweetheart, I believe in you."_

_He planted a soft kiss on her lips._

"_Can I stay here for tonight, though?" she asked._

_He smiled. "Sure…you can use my place whenever you need to. Or at least until someone winds up selling my house, but yes you can stay here for tonight."_

_She lay back on the bed and he tucked her in the blanket. Then he kissed her on her forehead._

"_Good-night, Rachel. I believe in you."_

_When she opened her eyes, it was morning. She got dressed, grabbed her suitcase and headed home._

_End of Flashback_

"Even if it was just a dream, he's right. We all need you to be strong, Rachel." One of her Dads said.

Will sat there confused but relieved. He didn't remember entering her dreams last night…but oh well, she was finally home.

"You're right…I'm going to take another chance at life. Go back to living it normally. I have to get over it. I'm sorry for running away and scaring you."

Her Dads hugged her. "It's okay, pumpkin, and we're proud that you're recovering."

**Bum bum…the story ain't over yet…we haven't even gotten to the good parts yet…so you'll just have to wait. Next up…pageant time! (For me, at least…sorry readers!)**


	11. This is My House Now

**I'm back! Sorry, dear readers for disappearing…I've been taking a quick vacation since the pageant, (which I didn't win but it was a great experience) but now I'm back and ready to roll!**

5 months have passed since Will's apparent death. Everything seemed back to normal. Rachel went back to focusing on Glee Club and her schoolwork with her trusty dog companion by her side. Every night before bed, she knelt beside her bed and said a prayer to Will. One day while she was working on her homework, there was a knock on the door and she went to answer it. A man in a business suit and a briefcase stood in the doorway.

"Rachel Berry, I presume?"

She nodded. "Can I help you, sir?"

"Yes, I am Gary Nolan, Will Shuester's lawyer."

She nodded and gestured for him to come inside. "Come in, please, Mr. Nolan. Would you like something to eat or drink?"

Mr. Nolan shook his head and set his briefcase on the kitchen table and sat down.

"No thank you. I'm here to discuss the issue regarding Will Shuester's house."

She sat down nervously. "Oh dear, I stayed the night there a few weeks ago, but it couldn't be trespassing because I had a key and I needed a place to go, please don't get me in trouble!"

He laughed. "No, no Rachel, it's quite fine as long as you have a key. No, I came to ask if you would like to _own_ Will's house."

Her head shot up in surprise. "What? I beg your pardon?"

He opened his briefcase and started taking out some papers. "I'm pretty sure you're aware that no one has touched his house, besides you, since his death?"

She nodded.

"Well, we sent some officials to search the house and they found his hidden will. It stated that if anything happened to him, the house would go you, if you wanted it."

He pulled out the will and let her read it. She read it carefully and nodded understandingly.

"Wow, this is big news. May I have some time to think?"

He patted her hand. "Of course you may, Rachel. It's all up to you."

She read the document again. "But what happens if I say no?"

Mr. Nolan shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "Well the Judge ruled if you say no, the house would automatically go to…his ex wife, Terri."

Will, who was sitting in her lap, perked up when he heard that last statement and started barking at him. Mr. Nolan looked at him awkwardly.

"I think your dog doesn't like me."

Rachel smiled and scratched Will behind his ears. "No, he likes you. He's just being a bit overprotective of me. So, if I say yes, the house goes to me. If I say no, the house goes to his ex wife. Is that correct?"

"Yes, that is correct."

She thought for a minute. "Then yes, I'll take the house! And I guess I'll have to get a job to pay the bills, I suppose."

"No, the state will pay for that. You're still a minor, so it's the state law that they'll pay for the house and bills until you become of age."

She hugged Will joyfully. "Awesome, I'm sure he'd be thrilled!"

Mr. Nolan took some more papers out of his briefcase. "You just have some documents to sign."

She signed them, and then they shook hands. "Congratulations, Rachel. You're in charge of the house now."

She led him to the door. "Thank you, Mr. Nolan."

He nodded. "Just give me a call if there are any problems."

_**The Next Day**_

Rachel told her Dads and they agreed that it was what's best for her. The next day she began moving some of her things into his apartment such as extra clothes and some decorations. She even planned on cleaning out the food in the fridge later. While she was cleaning, she heard someone come through the door and saw Terri looking around the living room. When she saw Rachel, she smiled mischievously.

"Don't stop now, honey. I'd like my new house to sparkle and shine!"

Rachel looked confused. "Excuse me? _You're_ new house?"

Terri looked annoyed. "What are you, stupid? Yes, _my_ new house! Now that poor Will's dead, it's all mine now!"

Rachel crossed her arms. "I think you're mistaken, Terri. This is _my_ house now. It was in his will and the state granted me it."

Terri shook her head. "There's no way the state would grant an underage minor a house, especially her teacher's!"

Rachel rolled her eyes. "Well they did. Will's layer came to my house yesterday with the will and he granted me the house."

Terri eyed her suspiciously. "Calling your teachers by their first name isn't very ladylike, dear Rachel. What would he say?"

"He'd say that I can call him whatever I want, now that he's no longer my teacher."

Terri faked a gasp. "Showing no sympathy to the death or your teacher? Rachel, how _could_ you?"

She dropped the act. "Anywho, go back to cleaning, you missed some spots."

Rachel went into the kitchen and called Mr. Nolan.

"_Gary Nolan speaking, how may I help you?"_

"Mr. Nolan, this is Rachel Berry."

"_Ah, Rachel, how are you today? How's the moving in coming?"_

"Quite well, but we caught a little snag. Terri's here, claiming that the house is hers and she won't believe that you granted it to me."

_Really, that's strange. I asked someone yesterday to notify her. Oh well, I'll send some officials over to clear things up."_

"Thank you. Will you be coming as well?"

_Oh course, Rachel, it's my job. If there's any issue regarding Will Shuester, I always have to be there. Plus I'm the only one with a copy of the will."_

"Okay, thank you. I'll see you in a few."

She hung up and went back to cleaning. Terri sat herself on the couch and watched TV. After a few minutes, there was a knock on the door and Terri went to answer it. When she opened the door, a few men and Mr. Nolan came inside. One man had a cheerful smile on his face. Rachel heard them and joined them in the foyer.

"Good morning, ladies!" the smiling man said.

"Rachel, this is Judge Pearson. He was the one who granted you the house yesterday. "Mr. Nolan said.

Rachel smiled and shook his hand." Good morning, sir! May I interest you with a cup of coffee or a doughnut, or…"

"A cup of coffee should do the trick, thank you." Judge Pearson said.

Rachel disappeared into the kitchen and came out with his cup of coffee.

"Now what seems to be the problem here?"

"Rachel alerted me that Terri here doesn't believe that your granted Rachel this house."

Terri crossed her arms. "It just seems _very_ hard to believe that you and Will would want to grant this underage minor his house!"

Judge Pearson's smile fell. "Now, Terri, we discussed this yesterday! It's written in the will! Why would we deny him what he wants?"

"Because I'm his ex wife, that's why." She snapped. "I've actually _lived_ here for some time, you know."

"That was until Will filed for a divorce, which made you incapable of owning the house." Mr. Nolan said.

"Yeah, but why _her?_" she gestured toward Rachel. Judge Pearson looked at Rachel.

"She seems capable enough. Now Missy, how are you affiliated with Will Shuester?"

Rachel braced herself. "He was my Spanish Teacher and Glee Club director. But he wasn't just that. He was like a father figure to all of us. He was one of those teachers that would actually ask how you are and he'd actually listen. He also helped us find who we really are. I don't know who I'd be without him."

All the men in the room were touched and Mr. Nolan winked at her. Terri however wrung her hands.

"Oh my god, you're actually going to buy that crap? She's an actress, _that's_ how she was able to come up with that sappy speech!"

Judge Pearson looked at Rachel again. "Did you make that up, Rachel?"

Rachel shook her head. "No, sir, I didn't. I'll admit that I'm a fantastic actress, but what I said came from my experience. And I would _never_ lie to a state official!"

Judge Pearson looked at Terri. "Well, there you have it. Come along, Terri and let the girl move in."

Terri's eyes flashed with anger and she started to get hysterical. "No! This is _MY_ house! I won't allow her to do it!"

"Terri, do try and calm down please!" Judge Pearson pleaded.

"You_ FOOLS_ are going to allow yourself to fall for this? She's just a baby; she can't handle this house by herself!"

"Terri, if you do not calm down, I'll have you arrested for incompetence!" Judge Pearson was practically shouting.

Terri looked at him. "You're nothing but a fat ugly piece of dough! This is mutiny!"

"That's it! Terri, I hereby sentence you to a trial by jury for incompetence!"

The other men, who were his bodyguards, grabbed her and dragged her out of the house.

Judge Pearson sighed and shook Rachel's hand. "It was nice to meet you. He made the right choice."

He left the house. Mr. Nolan hugged Rachel.

"That was some great acting! Good luck with the house. Keep in touch if there are any problems."

"Thank you Mr. Nolan for all your help." She followed him outside and waved as he drove off.

She sighed…this was pure good luck!

**I tried to make it as INTERESTING as possible, so I hope you enjoy! And I SOLEMLY PROMISE** **that Will Shuester will be back in human form by the end of the story. Ciao for now, peeps!**


	12. Party From Hell

**Okay, it took me practically FOREVER to come up with this chapter…enjoy!**

Rachel and Will came to school the next day and saw the whole school buzzing with excitement. She saw Puck leaning against his locker with his arms crossed, obviously uninterested.

"Noah, what's going on?" she asked Puck.

Puck shrugged. "Nothing much, just Mark Emmerson handing out invites to his annual huge party he has every year."

"You don't seem very interested."

Puck scratched Will behind his ears. "Come on Rachel, I'm the baddest guy in the whole school…you think I have to bow down to the lunk-head who thinks he's the most popular jock in the whole school? I could do so much better!"

Suddenly, Mark weaved his way through the crowd of people to them.

"Sup, Puckerman?" He asked.

"Buzz off, Emmerson." Puck said.

"Whoa, chill man, what are you gonna do, throw me in the dumpster singing a song? You pretty much lost your tough guy status since you joined that stupid Glee Club."

"Shut up, Emmerson or I'll knock your teeth out!" Puck snapped.

"And Glee Club is _NOT_ stupid, you Neanderthal!" Rachel screamed.

Mark took a look at her and smiled. "Hey there, pretty mama, don't get your panties up in twists. What's your name, sweetie?"

"None of your business, Emmerson…why don't you go wash your thong?" Puck said as he tried to drag Rachel away but she shook him off.

"Rachel Berry, **LEADER** and star singer of the Glee Club, thank you very much." She snapped.

Mark's eyes widened. "Whoa…no one told me there was a cutie in the Glee Club!"

She crossed her arms. "Quinn Fabray and Finn Hudson are in it too…the most popular jock and cheerleader in the school. I don't see you giving _them_ problems."

Mark looked confused. "What has this school come to? Well anyways, I still have one invite left to my super cool spring bash this weekend! You interested?"

She flipped her hair. "It's not good for my diva image and I don't like crowded places."

Mark laughed and put his arm around her. "Don't worry, babe, if it gets too crowded, I'll have a _special_ room reserved for you." He winked and walked off.

Puck stared after him. "Are you going?"

She shrugged. "I don't know, what's the harm in that? Maybe it'll be fun."

Puck stared at her. "Knowing you, his party is the **opposite** of your definition of fun. Trust me; they don't do _Broadway Charades_ or karaoke."

"Well I'll go…I need _something_ to get me out of the house! But I need you to come with me."

"Are you crazy? I'm not going and I think it's a bad idea for you to go too. Do you even _know_ how many girls he's slept with? Not as many as I have, but still, he's a player and I don't want you getting hurt."

She put her hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll be fine. And you can protect me in case he tries anything."

He sighed defeated. "Fine, I'll go. But only for you."

She smiled. "Cool, pick me up around eight Friday night?"

He sighed and walked away.

_**Friday Night**_

Rachel sat at her vanity putting on her make-up. She decided not to go too heavy, just light enough to bring out her features. When she was done, she walked over to her full sized mirror to see the finishing touches. She was wearing a white sundress with red polka-dots and matching red high heels.

Will sat on the bed admiring her wardrobe choices but he was worried about her. He knew that Puck was a tough person who could protect her, but he desperately wished she wouldn't go in the first place.

She seemed to know what he was thinking so she turned to him and smiled. "It's okay, Will. Everything will be fine, and I have Puck with me. Speaking of Puck, where is he?"

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door and Puck poked his head in. She smiled and twirled around in her dress. "How do I look?"

Puck came in and looked pained. "You _do_ know it's a _teen party_, not a _tea party_, right?"

She frowned. "Is something wrong with my outfit? I wanted to wear something that expressed _me_."

Puck nodded. "I understand, but the…current Rachel Berry is a bit too…plain to bring to your first teen party. They don't wanna see Rachel I-wanna-be-a-star Berry; they want to see Rachel I-wanna-be-bad Berry."

Rachel crossed her arms. "I don't think I have anything that says that."

"Oh, come on, _every_ chick has that kind out outfit in their closet. I'm sure we'll be able to put something together."

They both went into her closet and within a few minutes, she was dressed in black jeans, a hot pink silk tank top and a black jean jacket with black flats.

He inspected her and nodded. "Isn't _too_ hardcore, but it gives you attitude."

She hugged him. "Thank you, Noah. Before we go to the party, can we stop by Mercedes house? I asked her to watch Will for me tonight."

They drove to Mercedes and dropped him off and then headed to the party. She gasped when she saw his house…it was **HUGE**!

"That's what happens when Mommy and Daddy got dough." Puck said, pulling into the driveway.

They got to the front door, but just as she was about to push it open, he stopped her.

"What you're about to face is another world. Welcome to _my_ world."

She smiled. "Noah, I'll be okay."

She pushed the door open…and was _horrified_. The whole house was trashed, couples everywhere were going _way_ beyond PG-13, people were smoking, alcohol of every type was seen _everywhere_…people in the kitchen were even doing shots from the keg. The whole sight made Rachel sick but she didn't want to be seen as a wimp so she sucked it up. Puck could see how uncomfortable she was getting.

"Are you okay? Do you want to go home now?"

She shook her head and swallowed. "No, I'm fine…but this is a bit too much. Let's just find Mark, say a quick hello and good-bye and leave."

Puck shrugged. "Fine, but let me use the bathroom first. Stay _**RIGHT HERE**_, I'll be right back." He disappeared into the hall. Rachel felt _REALLY_ out of place and uncomfortable so she turned her back to everything and stared at the door, trying to forget everything she just saw and drown out the blaring music that was making her ears hurt. She suddenly felt a tap on her shoulder and thought it was Puck, so she turned around relieved but found…Mark.

"Hey, baby, glad you could come!"

"Mark," she screamed over the music. "I never should have come. I'm just going to give you a quick hello and good-bye and when Noah comes back, we're leaving!"

Mark looked confused. "But you just got here! We're just about to get this party started!"

Rachel covered her ears. "Mark, I think this party is insane! I can't hear anything, it's too loud!"

He wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "It's too loud? Why didn't you just say so? Come on with me, I'll take you to a room where you can stay in until the sound dies down a bit."

He started walking her toward the hallway. She tried to break away but he held her in a tight grip.

"Thank you, but really I shouldn't. Noah will wonder where I am."

"What Puckerman doesn't know won't hurt him, will it?" Mark asked leading her into a bedroom in the far back of the house away from the party. She took a look around and looked pained.

"Welcome to Case De Mark. Make yourself at home, baby!"

His room was decorated for all kinds of sports…basketball, football, baseball, you name it. It definitely wasn't her type.

"Want a sip of my drink?" he asked, holding a cup out to her.

She shook her head. "No thank you, I'm not too big on sharing drinks."

He laughed and put the drink in her hand. "Chill, babe, it's just lemonade. I'm not going to poison you or anything!"

She decided to take a sip. The drink tasted more bitter than sweet like regular lemonade but it was okay. After a few more sips, she began to feel sleepy.

"I'm really tired." She said, not noticing that her speech was slurred.

He lay her down on the bed and she fell into a deep sleep. Suddenly she heard a familiar voice.

"_Rachel?"_

She opened her eyes, but the place she was in was so bright and everything was so blurry so she took a minute to let her eyes focus. When she could finally see, she saw Will kneeling next to her.

"Will, I'm so happy to see you!"

Will frowned. _"How could you have been so naive?"_

"What are you talking about?"

He sighed. _"Do you remember anything?"_

"The last thing I remember was falling asleep on Mark's bed."

"_And did you know what you were drinking?"_

"Lemonade…he said it was just lemonade."

He crossed his arms. _"And did the lemonade taste a bit…different from regular lemonade?"_

She shook her head. "Well, it was a bit bitter."

He took her hand. _"Rachel, the lemonade was drugged. Mark got you drunk _intentionally. _He's going to rape you!"_

She shot up in surprise. "Will, that's crazy! Why would you assume that?"

"_Trust me, sweetheart, it happens to _**tons **_of girls. You have to be careful; he could do it any minute!"_

She glared at him. "And why didn't you warn me **before** I drank the lemonade?"

He looked at her sadly. _"I didn't know he was intending to do that to you. You must be-_"Suddenly he looked up and then back at her. "_Stick your foot out._"

She looked confused. "Stick my foot out? Why?"

"_Stick your foot out…hard, like you're kicking something._" Then he started to disappear.

She was very confused but did it anyway. She stuck her foot out and felt it come in contact with something. She was snapped back to reality by the sound of Mark's screaming. She opened her eyes and saw Mark double up on the floor moaning. She also saw that while she was unconscious, he was able to take her pants off, and judging by the way her jacket was tossed on the floor and her shirt was bunched up exposing her stomach. He was in the process of taking off her shirt until she kicked him. Her eyes swelled up in tears.

"You bitch!" he screamed getting up from the floor. (**Now I frown upon bad words and am not really fond of using them in my stories, but I need something to keep the heat on!)**

He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her onto the floor. She winced in pain.

"You're gonna pay for that!" he said advancing toward her. She had to think of something fast! When he got near enough, she stuck her foot out again, even harder and he felt back onto the bed screaming even louder than before.

_**RUN! **_ Her mind screamed and as fast as she could, she grabbed her pants and jacket off the floor and bolted out the door. She was relieved to find Puck waiting at the door looking very worried.

"Didn't I tell you to wait here?" he practically screamed over the music. He took one look at her and his expression softened. "What happened?"

He looked at her all over and saw that her hair was a mess and that she wasn't wearing her pants. Suddenly, it clicked. "Wait…did he…oh my God, I'm going to **MURDER HIM!**"

She shook her head.

"Wait…so he…didn't?"

She nodded and bust out into sobs. He understood and pulled her into a hug.

"Let's get out of here."

When they got back to his car, he took a blanket out of the trunk and wrapped it around her so she wouldn't be uncomfortable. The ride home was silent except for the sounds of Rachel sobbing.

They picked up Will from Mercedes house. She was a bit confused when she saw Rachel but he told her that he'd explain later. He drove her home while she held Will tightly.

Will, however, sat in her lap helpless and angry. Gabby warned him earlier what was going to happen to her and he was mad that he couldn't stop it. He was also relieved that she wasn't raped, because while she was unconscious, Gabby let him enter her mind to warn her. All he could do now was just to be there for her.

When they got to the house, instead of getting out, they just sat there in silence. Finally, Puck spoke up.

"Rachel, I know this is probably the _last_ thing you'd want to do, but tell me what happened."

After a few seconds, she looked up at him.

"It was while I was waiting at the door and you were in the bathroom. He came up to me and I tried to give him a quick hello and good-bye and complained that the party was too loud and he led me into his room where he said I could stay until the party died down. Then he let me take a sip from what he said was lemonade…and after a while I started to feel tired and fell asleep." She paused, wondering how she could explain Will in her dream warning her. She decided to leave him out of it.

"I don't remember much what happened after that…I pretty much blacked out. Then I guess I stuck my foot out hard because I woke up to the sound of him screaming on the floor. I looked and saw that my pants were on the floor and my tank top was bunched up exposing my stomach. He grabbed me by the hair and threw me on the ground but I kicked him again and ran to you." She burst out sobbing again.

Puck felt sorry for her and hugged her again. "It's all right, Rachel, you're safe now. Thank God he didn't go any further or else I'd have to murder him. We'll explain what happened to everyone and make sure he won't hurt you again, okay?"

She nodded. "Thanks again, Noah. I'm sorry you had to see me like this…I was so stupid."

He patted her on the back. "Don't worry; this happens to girls all the time. You're not the first. And I've done even worse things…but not like that!" he added noticing her shocked expression.

She laughed and sniffed. "Thanks again, Noah. I'm gonna take Will and go to bed. I think that's the _last_ teen party I'll ever be going to!"

Puck smiled and patted her shoulder. "Not _every_ teen party is like that."

She got out of the car and waved as he drove away. Then she looked into the sky at the stars and whispered, "Thank you."

**Ooh…it's almost time for the big climax!**


	13. You Saved Me

***Whispers* Climax…climax…CLIMAX! It's time for the MAIN EVENT you've all been waiting for! **

By Monday, Rachel had gained a new reputation to add to her diva one…a _bad_ reputation. Turns out in order for Mark to keep his reputation, he started a rumor that Rachel came to the party and wanted to have sex with him, even trying to _drug_ him into doing it, but she wasn't good enough for him so he blew her off. Everyone in Glee Club heard this rumor, but they knew it wasn't true because Puck told them what _really_ happened. Rachel felt helpless, trying to ignore the stares and the whispering through the halls but it was torture, so they made sure to take turns walking her to her classes so she wouldn't be harassed.

One day while Tina was walking her to History class, Mark and his jock friends came up to her laughing.

"What's up, Miss Desperate?"

Rachel kept her head down. "Shoo fly, don't bother us." Tina snapped.

Mark snickered. "Is that the best you got, chopsticks?"

Tina narrowed her eyes. "Zip it or I'll king-fu your ass, jerk."

He shrugged and looked at Rachel. "I told you, Rachel, I'm not _into_ you! And slipping a little something into my drink, that's a bit _illegal_, ain't it? You're lucky I didn't report you." He and his friends walked away.

Tina put her arm around her. "It's all right, Rachel, he's gone."

After a few weeks, the rumors still haven't died down. In fact, it had gotten _worse_. People started posting edited pictures of her on websites and blogged about her, calling her names like slut, whore, etc. Puck offered to find all the people doing it and make them stop, but she pointed out that it would only make even worse as it was. Finally she had enough so she decided to confront Mark about it.

During a Glee rehearsal, she excused herself to use the bathroom. She then started running around the school until she found him chatting with his friends by the flag pole.

"Mark!" she screamed walking up to him. "What the hell? Do you even know what you've **done** to me?"

Mark snickered. "A bit feisty today, eh? Didn't I tell you a long time ago that I wasn't interested?"

She wrung her hands. "Because of **you**, people have been ruining me these past few months!"

He shrugged nonchalantly. "Sorry, babe, you got what you deserved."

He and his friends turned to walk away.

"You're nothing but a monster…you…you…you **BASTARD!"** she screamed at him.

He turned around angrily. "You **do** know that Puckerman ain't here to save you, right? You **do** know that what you're saying could get you into **huge** trouble, right?"

She crossed her arms. "I don't need Noah to protect me, this is between just us. Do you remember what I **actually** did to you? Do you, because I can do it again and make it hurt even more!"

He looked at her foot with wide eyes and then looked back at her. "Do it, you won't."

She turned like she was going to walk away but swiftly turned back to him and stuck her foot out _**hard**_. He fell to the ground covering his private area groaning.

"Get her!" he screamed to his friends but they slowly backed away.

"Forget it, man, she's a tough cookie! We don't wanna mess with her!" Then they ran off.

"All right, bitch. You wanna play dirty? Let's play dirty." He stood up and slaps her hard across the face. "Finished yet?"

"Screw you, asshole, I'm just getting started!" she spat.

Suddenly he reached out and with one hand, he yanked on her hair hard and with the other hand he grabbed her throat and started choking her. While she was gasping, she managed to let out a blood-curdling scream that _**ANYONE**_ in the school could hear. The scream made its way into the choir room and everyone jumped up when they heard it.

"Do you think it's Rachel? She's not back from the bathroom yet?" Finn asked.

There was another loud scream.

"Yup, that's Rachel. I know her scream from anywhere." Puck said.

"Do you think Mark got to her while she was out?" Quinn asked worriedly.

There was another loud scream.

"That's a yes, we need to find her!" Mercedes said and everyone jumped up and bounced out of the choir room. They had no idea where she was so they all decided to split up and search around the school.

Will, however with his awesome super sensitive dog hearing sense, knew exactly where she was so he bolted as fast as he could to the flagpole.

Meanwhile, Mark was still choking Rachel trying to get her to shut up.

"Shut up, you whore! You did this to yourself! Now it's payback time!"

With his hands still grabbing her hair and throat, he dragged her to the street and shoved her in the middle of the road. She fell face first but blocked her face with her hands. He looked up and saw a car speeding toward her, so he smiled evilly and walked away cackling.

Will ran even faster and was relieved when he saw the flagpole.

"_Will, you must hurry!"_ Gabby screamed in his mind. "_She's in the street!"_

He started panicking and looked toward the street. There was Rachel, lying face down on the concrete with a car speeding toward her. He started barking wildly.

"Get up, Rachel, get up! Look out, there's a car coming!"

Rachel looked up and saw the car coming but she was too weak to move.

_Well, I guess this is the end_, she thought.

Will started to panic, why wasn't she moving? The car was getting even _closer_…he needed to think of something _**fast!**_

Suddenly his instincts kicked in…it was now or never! He started running and when he got to her, with all the strength he had, he pushed her out of the way. She rolled over a few times and looked at Will. He stared at her helplessly with an assuring look on his face and she closed her eyes. She heard a thud and a painful whimper. When she opened her eyes, Will was on his back trembling. She crawled over to him.

"You saved me." She whispered. "Thank you, Will."

He trembled some more, closed his eyes…and took one last breath. Her eyes widened.

"Will…oh no…Will wake up! Please don't leave me!"

It was too late…his body felt light in her arms. She held him close and sobbed.

When the Glee members found her, it was too late! All they saw was Rachel kneeling in the middle of the street with Will lying lifeless in her arms.

**CLIFFHANGER! AND I BET YOU'RE WONDERING "HE'S DEAD AGAIN?" WELL I'M PRETTY SURE YOU BRILLIANT SNOWFLAKES KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT…I HOPE.**


	14. I'm Back For Good

**Here it is….the MOMENT YOU'VE ALL BEEN WAITING FOR!**

Will woke on something soft so he looked down and saw that he was lying on a cloud. He also saw that he was human again.

_Now what happened again_, he thought to himself. Suddenly, everything flashed before him.

He saw Rachel lying face down in the street.

He saw the car speeding toward her but she wouldn't move.

His sudden instinct kicking in as he knocked her out of the way and let himself get hit by the car.

He sighed and shook his head. He was happy that he saved her…but now he would _never_ see her again.

A beam of light shined nearby and suddenly a giant golden iron gate appeared and he saw Gabby waiting for him there. He stood up and walked to her.

When he got to her, she gave him a sad smile.

"I messed up again." He said lowering his head. "But I had to, she could have died!"

He looked out into the distance. "Good-bye, my sweet Rachel. I love you will all my heart and I'll see you again someday." Tears started to fall from his eyes but he didn't bother to wipe them away. He turned to Gabby.

"So I guess I'm stuck here for good, huh?"

She shook her head. "Nope…you're not."

He looked confused. "What are you talking about? I just _died_ a second time and lost my alternate life saving Rachel, _why_ am I not staying here? I just saved her; doesn't that give me a free ticket here?"

She pursued her lips. "You saved her…which is why we're letting you go back again…as a _human_."

His head shot up in surprise. "A…a…_human…as in I'll be a full grown human Will Shuester_ again?"

She nodded. "Yes, that is correct."

"B-b-ut how?" he stammered. "I thought you said before I came back to life that if I died again, I'd get no more chances!"

She smiled and shrugged. "Loopholes, Will…and God thought that because of your brave deed and act of kindness, you deserve to be human again."

Will stared at her with disbelief. "Seriously…I'm _seriously_ going to live life for the third time…as a _human_ again?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Look, do you want this or not? We'd understand if you wish to stay here, but honestly I believe that you have much potential and deserve to be human once more. Are you going to take it or leave it?"

After a second, he practically screamed "**I'LL TAKE IT, GABBY! I WANT TO BE A HUMAN ONCE AGAIN!**"

She squealed and hugged him. They both cried tears of joy and danced around, singing, laughing and jumping. When they were done, she suddenly remembered something.

"Okay…now remember, this is your **ABSOLUTE LAST LIFELINE**…use it well and live it fantastically."

He nodded. "I'm ready…but will I ever see you again?"

She shook her head sadly. "You don't need me anymore, Will. I'll be watching over you, but I won't be guiding you anymore. It's all up to you to keep yourself, Rachel and everyone else safe and happy. My job is done."

"What do you get out of it?" he asked.

She took his hands. "I get nothing but the satisfaction of knowing that I helped someone in need. That's all I could ever want as an angel. When I was alive, I was a good person and helped others believe and achieve. That's how I made it here and I'm still carrying out my work to the new people. Now it's time for you to go back and finish what you started. Lead your kids to National's. Find the comfort and sympathy to love and be with Rachel. I'll be seeing you when it's time…but _please_ don't cut it short…_again_."

He smiled and nodded. "Okay, I promise. And I'll repay you for your hard work when I come back."

"All an angel needs is the satisfaction knowing that they did well. They don't want gifts or presents or anything in return."

She hugged him and kissed him on the cheek. "Are you ready…again?"

He nodded and closed her eyes. Suddenly, he felt a warm glow overcome him.

Meanwhile, back with Rachel and the gang, everyone was still mourning. Rachel was still holding the limp dog's body and everyone else was comforting each other.

Finn walked over to her and put his hand on her shoulder.

"Rachel…come on, let's go. It'll be okay."

She nodded and kissed the dog on top of his head.

"Thank you again…I'm so sorry." She sniffed. "You guys go ahead; I just need a few minutes."

Finn nodded and everyone cleared out.

A beam of sunlight shined on the dog's body and it suddenly started glowing. A huge gust of wind swept everywhere and while everyone clung on tightly to each other. Rachel just sat there stunned watching the body transform. She closed her eyes because the light began to blind her.

When she opened her eyes…stunned…to see a **HUMAN** Will Shuester lying in her arms.

She was shaking in bewilderment. Was this yet _another_ hallucination? She touched his face…it felt real, but then again in all her visions he felt real. She shook her head.

Suddenly, he stirred and opened his eyes. He looked up and smiled at her.

She covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes swelling with tears.

He leans up, cupped her face with his hand and kissed her tenderly. "Don't cry, sweetheart, I'm back for good this time."

She shook her head and stared at him dumbfounded. He sat up.

"I can explain, Rachel."

She swallowed and finally said something after all that silence. "…you can?"

He opened his mouth to say something but then closed it. "No…I could try but I don't think so. It's a bit far-fetched but it depends on how you look at it."

She nodded. "So you _were_ my dog the whole time…I knew it somehow."

He bit his lip. "I can tell. And all those times you saw me in human form were real, you weren't hallucinating."

She shook her head again. "I…seriously wasn't? Because everything seemed to look and feel impossible…could you at least _try_ to explain?"

He thought for a few minutes. "It would probably take about forever…but the important thing is that an angel named Gabby brought me back to life…twice."

For some strange reason…she believed him.

Will rambled on with the rest of the story until she thought she heard enough. She crawled to him and put her hand to his mouth to quiet him.

"I get it, Will. You're back for good this time. This is wonderful news."

He smiled. "I love you, Rachel. I meant it all those times I said it and right now I love you even more."

She blushed. "I guess you heard all that."

He took her hand. "I'm glad I did. I was hoping you'd feel the same way."

She looked away. "This is all…_miraculous_! How can we explain this to everyone?"

"_No need to, Rachel."_ A soft voice said.

She looked around. "Who said that?"

Suddenly, another beam of light shone on the ground in front of them and Gabby appeared. Rachel gasped and hid behind Will.

"Do not be afraid, Rachel. Angels do not hurt people." Gabby said smiling.

"That's Gabby." Will whispered. "She's the angel who helped me through all this."

Gabby nodded. "There is no need to explain to everyone. I have erased their memories so now to them, Will was never dead and the dog never existed."

Rachel stared at her in surprise. "Why would you do that? Think of what could have been-"

Gabby held her hands up to calm her down. "Please, Rachel, there is no need to make a scene. Yes, what I did may or may not have been wrong, but it's the rules of being an angel. We're only allowed to expose our work to the ones we're doing it for, but since you know now too, you must keep it a secret. Can you do that?"

Rachel nodded understandingly. "Yes, I understand. So pretty much to everyone else, all this never happened?"

Gabby smiled. "Nope, Will never died and got resurrected as a dog, Mark never drugged and tried to rape you, and your dog never got hit by a car. Only you and Will remember all that, and I assume this'll be both your little secret."

They both nodded. "Thank you, Gabby. You really saved me." Will said.

"Then I leave you here. May God's light shine upon you into the kingdom of heaven, I bless you. Good-bye, Will. It was a pleasure to meet you and I pray we meet again someday."

The same beam of light shined on her and they waved as she spread her wings and flew back to Heaven.

Rachel blew some hair out of her face. "So…it's just you and me now."

Will nodded. "And National's is coming up soon. We'd better get cracking."

_**The next day at Glee rehearsal**_

Rachel and Will waited in the choir room for everyone. Rachel sat on a chair swinging her legs and Will leaned against his desk.

"What are we going to do about you and me? It's illegal, you know." Rachel asked.

He shrugged. "We love each other, that's all that matters. And how can anyone find out if we're…together when no one's around."

Suddenly everyone came bounding in.

"Hey, Mr. Shue, how are you?" Finn asked.

"I'm doing fine, thank you Finn." Will said.

When everyone came in and took their seats, He went to the front of the room and looked at all of them. Turns out that Gabby was true to her word and no one had any memory of him dying.

"Okay everyone, attention please!" Everyone stopped talking and watched him.

"National's is coming up, and we need to do our absolute very best! That means I'm going to need everyone's cooperation."

He winked at Rachel. "And even if we don't win, we'll still be united…as a _family_. And only a family's bond is strong and unbreakable. If we all help each other, we can overcome anything."

Everyone nodded. "So…are we in it to win it?"

_The End_

**That's the end of it, folks! I hope you enjoyed reading and to all my reviewers, you TOTALLY ROCK! I have another story in mind, but it won't be too OOC like **_**Sway with Me**_** and nothing supernatural will happen like in this story, but it'll still be a Will/Rachel story, I promise! Bye peeps!**


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